


Immortal against his will

by JemNightwitch



Category: Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, Sabaton (Band)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:40:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29696550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JemNightwitch/pseuds/JemNightwitch
Summary: This is a spin-off to a story by iZombi. The Sabaton guys are soldiers in the Iraqi desert; they refuse to kill inoocents and are therefoere executed. Joakim wakes up as an immortal, his wounds having healed. And there, this story begins: Joakim wanders around for God knows how log and when he sleeps, Janne and Alexi find him coincidentally and bring him in a cave system where they made themselves at home.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 2





	Immortal against his will

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iZombi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iZombi/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Revelation 9:6: “And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them…”](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29657223) by [iZombi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iZombi/pseuds/iZombi). 



A man in a ragged Swedish uniform trudged himself through the desert. Aimlessly, he staggered through tons of sand, he indeed didn't seem to have neither an aim nor a will of his own. The broad shoulders were sunken and he radiated utter resignation and hopelessness. He had forgotten the number of days he had been wandering around. Sometimes he would wonder why he was still alive, after so many days without water. Then the memory of what had happened hit him: him and his friends being executed by the order of a corrupt squad commander; him coming back to life in a creepy, somewhat unholy way; but he was too exhausted physically and mentally to pay much attention. His head was droning due to dehydration he should have died from actually for days now, but apparently, some higher entity had decided that he had to live on, perhaps having become immortal. The man would have embraced death but apparently this one avoided him. At sunset, he collapsed in the cooling sand and fell asleep right away, not caring for the cold of desert nights. 

“Janne! Come, hurry!”, shouted excitedly the small man who had just literally stumbled over another one. Janne sighed. His friend was small and thin, but had energy for ten. When he wasn't playing his guitar, he ran and jumped around and couldn't sit on the spot for three minutes. When he closed in, Alexi claimed excitedly: “Look at him, isn't that Joakim?”

Janne looked down at the man Alexi had found, totally dumbfounded. Then he gasped: “Let's bring him into the caves, but you'll have to help me, apparently, he's not as light-weighted as you.” Alexi shot him a glare, then, the two men hauled the other up. He was indeed heavier than Alexi, much heavier. When they came to the cave system they called home now, both of them were panting and totally drenched. Carefully, they laid Joakim down on the floor. Two men approached them now, both quite tall. The first might be 50 years old, with long blonde hair and a big beard. His motions were those of a much younger man but his weathered face betrayed his age. The latter was certainly ten years younger and clean-shaven. He, too, had long blonde hair.

“Johan, Henkka, we found Joakim”, Alexi exclaimed excitedly. The two men took a closer look. 

“Indeed”, Henkka stated in utter surprise, “but where are his friends?”

“That's a damn good question. I don't know”, Alexi answered. Janne just shrugged.

“He can tell us when he's awake. First of all, he needs a bed.”, Johan tried to calm the younger men. He, as well, was excited but was able to keep it under the surface.

And that was where Joakim found he was still alive. He damned whoever had put the curse of eternal? life to him. Because his body was now so well rested that he didn't feel any fatigue, the memory hit him with full force and he felt tears well up; in his throat, a thick lump formed. Someone was playing guitar nearby. Not only idle jingling but really hard riffs that mixed with fast solos. Then, all of a sudden, the guitar fell silent.

“Ah, you're awake!”, the voice was somewhat familiar. A boy – no, a small, slender man – quickly approached him.

“How are you? You slept for hours, we looked after you every once in a while... “

“Alexi?”, Joakims voice was hoarse, he hadn't used it for god knew how long. 

“Yeah, it's me. Man, I'm so glad we found you alive!” At this words, the barrier Joakim had built unconsciously was torn down. The tears finally burst out of him and he sobbed heavily. Alexi was startled in the first moment but then, he wrapped his arms around the taller man who rested his head on Alexi's small shoulder. After the first heavy breakout had ended, Alexi let go of him but put one arm around Joakim's back and gently pushed him forward.

“Come. Let's join the others”, he said softly.

“The...others?” Joakim echoed, but didn't get an answer. Then, they entered a huge cave where a big fire was burning; it seemed to have a natural flue above it, a hole or a fissure in the rock. Joakim noticed only now that the cave was ice cold, he shivered. Around the fire sat people he knew but wouldn't have thought he would ever see them again, especially not here. They stepped into the flickering shine of the fire. 

Alexi shouted: “Look who's awake now!” In the cave, people stopped what they were doing and came over to the shouter and the massive built man accompanying him. The first to recognize Joakim was Johan. Joakim tried to force himself to act almost normal but of course, Johan recognized that something wasn't alright.

“How are you?” the latter asked gently.

“Fucking lousy”, Joakim answered in a hollow voice that completely lacked its former vigor. And damn, he was hoarse!

“Something you wanna talk about?”

“No... or yes. Yes!”

Johan led him to a small side cave: “They've accepted me as kinda leader, don't know how I've earned that... come on, take a seat. Wanna drink something?”

“A water, please.” 

“Here you are. Drink slowly. And now tell me: How did you end up here in the desert?”

Joakim began to tell what had happened and didn't omit the fact that he was apparently immortal against his will. At Johan's side, a woman appeared. She sat down in front of Joakim and looked directly into his eyes.

“Do you remember me?” she asked in a clear voice.

“You're Johan's wife, aren't you?”

“I am, yes. What has brought you to us? I don't want to hear what you told Johan – I heard it, as well.” She looked at him with affection, then said: “Perhaps is it too early for you to understand what I truly want to know.” With these puzzling words, she left the cave. 

“We have heard of the events you told about. A squad that killed women and children, among others. So you were the ones who denied the order and got executed?” asked Johan. Joakim, at the verge of tears again, nodded. He looked down at his big hands, becoming impressive fists when clenched. What good were they, when he could not even protect his friends? His massive build, all his strength and energy hadn't helped. Pär, the smallest of them, had accepted Hannes' penalty. He had been beaten up nearly until unrecognizability. In the outcome, it wasn't important, they all had died anyway but Joakim wished the commander had taken him instead of Pär. 

“I want revenge”, he said gloomily.

“Why?” 

“I need it”, Joakim said simply, “to be able to go on with life.” Johan nodded.

“Are you hungry?” All of a sudden, Joakim felt his belly and head ache with hunger and thirst. 

Johan led the way in the cave with the fire; on the floor lied a big carpet on which finger food was arranged. Joakim sat down on the floor. When the people around him began eating, he did so as well. He ate and drank slowly because his stomach wasn't accustomed to food anymore. 

'It's ok,' he thought. 'I'll take my revenge so the murderer who has killed my friends will die and thus help me to go on with life.'


End file.
